Battle of Wittelsbach

The Battle of Wittelsbach (27 January 1311) was a battle fought between the forces of the Duchy of Austria and the Duchy of Bavaria during Duke Frederick IV of Austria's war to claim Passau from Lower Bavaria. The battle saw a much larger Austrian mercenary army defeat a smaller Bavarian army commanded by Duke Rudolf I of Bavaria himself, and the Austrian victory eventually led to the Austrians acquiring Passau.

Habsburg-Wittelsbach feud
The Bavarian House of Wittelsbach and the Austrian House of Habsburg had been rivals since the 13th century, competing for power in southern Germany, as well as harboring opposing ambitions concerning the leadership of the Holy Roman Empire. The two families often squabbled over territory and influence, and it came as no surprise to the German world when Duke Frederick IV of Austria declared war on Count Stefan of Niederbayern on 12 November 1310 with the intention of enforcing the Duchy of Austria's claims on Passau, owned by Lower Bavaria. Frederick was not the only claimant, however; the Wittelsbach ruler Rudolf I of Bavaria was also at war with his kinsman for control of Passau, bringing the three claimants into battle against each other.

Frederick was well-prepared for the conflict, and he devoted his coffers to recruiting a large mercenary army that was capable of conquering Passau while also holding the Bavarians at bay. He recruited the German Great Company under Werner von Veringen to assist him with his invasion of Lower Bavaria, and he raised an army of over 20,000 troops. In January 1311, the Austrian army met a smaller Bavarian army of 6,613 troops, led by Rudolf I himself, at Wittelsbach.

Battle
The larger Austrian mercenary army charged into battle, using its sheer strength in numbers to overwhelm the Bavarians. The Bavarian army was unprepared for the advance of the Austrian heavy infantry, which all but annihilated the Bavarian light infantry and inflicted heavy losses on its bowmen. The Bavarian general Simon von der Lippe was captured during the battle, and the Bavarian army was forced to retreat. The Austrians emerged victorious, routing the Bavarians. 395 Austrians and 2,799 Bavarians were lost in the battle.

Aftermath
On 2 March 1311, the victorious Austrian army took Passau by storm, overwhelming its 1,251-strong garrison. The Austrians followed up this victory with another triumph over the Bavarians at Straubing on 22 April, defeating Mayor Baldomar of Landshut's 2,263-strong army with a mere 13 losses. That same day, Frederick usurped the County of Passau from Count Stefan, consolidating his victory. Frederick's conquest of Passau was the first of his many campaigns, and he established himself as a powerful noble in southern Germany.